


set the fractured bone

by torigates



Category: Protector of the Small - Tamora Pierce, Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-19
Updated: 2013-09-19
Packaged: 2017-12-27 02:04:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/972999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/torigates/pseuds/torigates
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kel had to stifle a giggle at the idea of herself, a virgin, giving anyone advice on the mechanics of sex.</p>
            </blockquote>





	set the fractured bone

**Author's Note:**

  * For [labellementeuse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/labellementeuse/gifts).



Keladry of Mindelan drew up short after lancing her target on the quentin dummy. Peachblossom trotted to a stop without any direction from his knight. The two of them had been working and practicing together for long enough that he no longer needed to be told what to do after striking a target. Kel flipped her wrist and sent the wood ring sailing through the air. 

Behind her, she heard Jump take a running leap before launching himself into the air and catching the ring with the same practice and precision Kel had shown only moments earlier. By now, all parties were familiar with this routine as they were getting up in the morning. 

Kel sighed, and nudged Peachblossom back to the starting line. Doing this for as long as she had, it was hard to make practice challenging unless she was jousting against a real opponent. What was more, to Kel’s dismay, it was getting harder and harder to find people who were willing to face her. She thought about what her former knightmaster, Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie’s Peak had said about finding it difficult to get opponents at his caliber, and sighed again. 

“Another run?” she asked Peachblossom. She had no way to confirm it, but Kel privately suspected Peachblossom was finding practice just as tedious as she was lately. 

Peachblossom shook his head in a way that could either mean, ‘please, no more,’ or ‘don’t be so lazy, human.’ 

Kel sighed again, knowing it was probably closer to the second one. She knew better than anyone the importance of keeping her skills sharp. Slacking off for even one day wasn’t something that should could afford. Sometimes she just wished it could be somewhat more exciting! 

But sighing wasn’t going to keep her safe in battle, so Kel allowed Peachblossom to take her back to the top and run through the dummy again. And again after that. 

By the time she was done with her practice she had worked up a sweat, and so had Peachblossom and Jump. She turned and headed back towards the stables. 

“My Lady!” a voice called from behind her. 

Kel stopped and subtly looked around to make sure that the voice was indeed addressing her. There was no one else in the practice yards, so turned to face the speaker. 

The person in question turned out to be a young girl, probably about fourteen or fifteen years old. She was dressed in worn looking brown breeches, a plain shirt, and sturdy looking shoes. Her dark blonde hair was pulled back into a sensible braid. Her face was open, and earnest, but she looked shy, almost as if she couldn’t believe she had actually spoken aloud. 

“Hello there,” Kel said, hoping she sounded kind and encouraging. It wasn’t often enough that she got to speak to the young women of the realm, and each time she did she found herself enjoying it immensely. She took a few steps towards the girl. 

“Lady Knight,” she said. “Um, hello--” she faltered. 

“Hello,” Kel said again warmly. “What’s your name?” 

The girl sighed, seemingly relieved to have a question she could easily answer. 

“Peggy,” she said. “I mean, Margaret Dulane.” 

Kel smiled again. “Pleasure to meet you. What can I do for you, Peggy?” 

She looked around nervously, as if checking the practice courts for anyone else. 

Kel huffed half in annoyance, half in sympathy. She remembered what it was like trying to talk to adults when she was younger. Especially knights. “I’m going to the stables to give this one a rest,” she said, jerking her head towards Peachblossom. “Why don’t you join me?” 

Peggy beamed and followed along beside them--although at a healthy distance away from the horse, Kel was pleased to note. As they walked, Kel asked questions. Peggy, it seemed, lived not in the palace grounds, but not far outside them. Her parents were merchants, she was the youngest of six children, all who were either merchants themselves, or married to merchants.

As Kel listened to Peggy talk about the family trade she heard a familiar hint of resignation and longing that she recognized from her own days of hoping and dreaming of becoming a warrior. Of course, Kel had been ten years old at the time. Then she wanted to mentally slap herself. Neal had been fifteen when he became a page. She supposed there was no age limit on dreams. 

“You’re hoping to get my advice on becoming a female warrior,” Kel said, hoping to put her new friend at ease. 

It seemed to have the opposite effect. Instead of sighing in relief, Peggy became more tense. “No,” she said. “I mean, well yes. But no.” 

Kel stared at her. Besides giving advice on how to fight, how to keep up with or even surpass her fellow male peers, she had no idea what a young girl might want to ask her. 

“Er, alright,” Kel said. “I’m not sure how else I can help, but I’ll do my best.” 

Peggy twisted her fingers together and refused to meet Kel’s eyes. “I’ll be joining the Riders in the fall,” she said quietly. “Mama and Papa have already agreed.” 

“That’s excellent,” Kel said encouragingly. She still wasn’t clear how this _didn’t_ relate to fighting, but seeing as she had already put her foot in her mouth once, she wasn’t going to interrupt again. 

Peggy remained silent. 

“I don’t have a lot of experience with the Riders myself,” Kel said when she could no longer bear the quiet. “But I’m sure--” 

“No, it’s not that,” Peggy said. 

“Well, what is it then?” she asked, and hoped she didn’t sound too harsh. 

“Um, well, it’s, boys you see.” 

Kell didn’t. The blank look on her face must have spoke volumes because Peggy continued. 

“I don’t,” she said. “I mean, I never--” She looked up imploringly at Kel, as if the sheer force of her want could make Kel understand what it was she was trying to say, and suddenly it did. 

“Oh,” Kel said. She felt her face become hot, and she was sure she was a splendid shade of red. “Well.” 

The two of them stood in awkward silence for what felt like several long seconds. Somehow, in all the times she had spoken to the realm’s young women the question of sex had never come up. It wasn’t that Kel had purposefully avoided it. She stopped herself. Maybe she _had_ avoided it. 

There had been times at Haven, and again afterward when some of her younger people had tried to talk to her, or come to her for advice on the opposite sex. Maybe they felt that because she had spent so much of her formative years around boys she must have a better understanding of how their minds worked, but it was quite the opposite in reality. 

Squires--and even pages on occasion--were infamous for their dealings with women. But whether it was out of some perverse sense of protecting her honour, or just plain embarrassment, her friends had mostly kept that side of themselves away from Kel. It wasn’t that she was ignorant to sexual activities surrounding her--far from it, servants talked, so did everyone else, and Kel was good at sitting quietly and getting people to say things in front of her--it was just that as far as practical experiences went, she didn’t have a whole lot. 

It wasn’t for lack of trying, either. Well, not _entirely_ for lack of trying. Things had always been more of a timing issue between her and Cleon, and perhaps she could say with some clarity now, a bit of a discrepancy between them as far as equal feelings went. She thought about what her mother had told her about her unique position. About being able to choose for herself what she wanted to do with her body and her lovers. But mostly what Kel wanted to do with her body was fight and protect the realm. 

Ultimately, it wasn’t that she didn’t _want_ to have sex. It just hadn’t really--come up. 

“What,” Kel said, and then cleared her throat. “What do you want to know?” 

Peggy, thank the gods, knew the basics. Kel had to stifle a giggle at the idea of herself, a virgin, giving anyone advice on the mechanics of sex. Her questions fell more along the lines how to know when to say yes to a proposition, and whether or not it was all right to say no. 

Kel patted her back awkwardly and stressed the importance of only saying yes to any men that Peggy really wanted to say yes to, the importance of purchasing a charm against pregnancy, and her options for seeking protection if anyone ever made her feel pressured to do otherwise. 

They talked for what felt like an eternity to Kel, as she stumbled over her words trying to sound confident and as if she knew what she was saying. In reality, the conversation only lasted half of an hour, if that. Peggy thanked her warmly, and Kel hoped that she’d meet some older women in the Riders who could mentor her more effectively than Kel. 

Their conversation moved on to topics Kel felt more comfortable with, namely which exercises worked best for strengthening the upper body and stamina. When they went their separate ways Kel felt as if she maybe, possibly, hadn’t said _all_ the wrong things. 

Peachblossom settled in his stall, and Peggy sent on her way, Kel decided to seek out her own source of female guidance. 

“Kel, this is a surprise,” Ilane of Mindelan greeted her daughter when Kel poked her head into her parents’ temporary rooms at the Palace. 

They were staying in the city on another diplomatic endeavor, and Kel couldn’t say that she minded having them a bit closer. It was nice to be able to spend more time with her parents. 

“Hello, Mama,” she said stepping into the rooms to embrace her mother. 

Kel sat down and Ilane brewed them tea to drink. When they were both seated with their beverages, Kel explained the encounter from the practice courts. 

Ilane laughed loudly when Kel was done speaking. “Oh, poor baby!” she said, though there didn’t seem to be any real sympathy in her mother’s eyes. 

Kel laughed a little despite herself. “I just didn’t know what to say! I hope I didn’t traumatize the poor girl. And going off to the Riders!” 

Her mother waved her off. “It sounds like you said exactly the right thing. And you’re right, there will be a lot of other women around she can look to for advice, which is more than you ever got, my poor darling.” 

Kel blushed again. “I was never much concerned with those things,” she said. “You know that.” 

“I do know,” Ilane agreed. “Always so focused on task before you. And now?” 

Kel shrugged, not sure how she really felt. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to have sex, but she didn’t want to rush anything for the sake of it either. She said as much to her mother. 

“That’s my girl,” Ilane said. “Such a level head you have, I’m sure I don’t know where it came from.” They both laughed. “But is there really no one you have your eye on?” 

Kel thought about it. Thought about Dom who never failed to make her stomach swoop with excitement no matter how much time had passed between visits. And yet, nothing had ever seemed to work out between them. They were both so busy, and Kel knew that someone as handsome as he was would never be lacking in female companionship.

She shrugged and smiled helplessly at her mother. 

Ilane wrapped her arm around Kel’s shoulders, and kissed her temple. “My darling, you never do anything less than wonderfully. Things will work out in their own time.” 

Kel closed her eyes and worked on believing it. In the meantime, there were always other skills to practice.


End file.
